“One of the best ball strikers tennis has ever seen”- Most experts and players would agree to this when talking about Jannik Sinner. However, one would have to turn one’s head if it were Nick Kyrgios saying this. The Australian has not been a big fan of the current World No. 1 and has expressed his criticism openly. However, when asked to make a tactical breakdown of the Italian’s game, Kyrgios did not shy away from giving Sinner his due, commending the improvements that the five-time Major champion has made to his game.

“One of the best ball strikers the game has ever seen. Absolute machine from the back of the court. Is able to turn defense into offense with any shot. Only real weakness was his serve wasn’t able to generate a ton of free points, now has improved that and is one of the best pinpoint servers we have,” said Kyrgios during a Q&A session on Instagram. “Hard to attack. Volleys weren’t as natural as some of the other best players, but he has worked on his transition game well and is comfortable moving forward as well. Moves well for someone who is surprisingly tall. With more time, it will most likely go down as one of the goats.”

Kyrgios’s praise of Sinner’s abilities will come as a surprise to many tennis followers, as the Australian has long been a critic of the Italian. When Sinner had to deal with the doping controversy in 2024 after failing two drug tests, Kyrgios was among the most vocal on social media about the incident. The Australian compared Sinner’s case with other players’ and suggested multi-year bans as the commensurate sanction for the Italian’s failed tests.

Even after Sinner got the verdict of “no fault or negligence”, Kyrgios remained adamant in his stance. Once the World No.1 accepted a three-month ban in early 2025 as part of a settlement with WADA, Kyrgios still had some harsh words for the Italian, claiming the legal arrangement to be a ‘sad day for tennis’.

In light of such strong opinions, Kyrgios’s breakdown of Sinner’s game might be considered as a reversal of opinions. However, the Australian was not spot on with his analysis. Back in 2022, Sinner won 66 percent of his service points, while winning 74 percent of his first serve points. Cut to 2026, the Italian won over eighty percent of his first serve points, winning 73 percent of his service points.

The biggest endorsement of Sinner’s serve came from Novak Djokovic himself. Few would argue the Serb’s pedigree as one of the best returners in the game, and even he could muster only one break point during the Wimbledon semifinal. After the match, the former World No.1 praised the Italian’s accuracy and second serve variation, which kept every opponent at bay. Sinner backed up that performance against Alexander Zverev in the final, facing yet again one break point in the match.

As for dropshots and volleys, while Sinner does not go for the typical serve-and-volley play, the Italian has developed the habit of going to the net after a strong first shot in the rally to finish the point early. So, Kyrgios was astute in his observations, which should not come as a surprise as the Australian has already dipped his toes into commentary, working for prominent organizations like Eurosport and BBC during Wimbledon in 2024.

However, on the court, the former Wimbledon runner-up has not had the best of times recently, as injuries have limited his matches. Kyrgios also had to deal with the added burden of tackling a drug suspension after failing a test.

Nick Kyrgios Was Suspended After Failing a Drug Test

Kyrgios made the news for all the wrong reasons after failing a drug test at the Mallorca Open. However, unlike Sinner, the drug in question was a substance of abuse, rather than a performance-enhancing drug. This important distinction saw the Australian get a lenient one-month ban as he was able to prove that he consumed the drug in question outside of the tournament, while penning an emotional message on social media as he took responsibility for his actions.

As for his on-court results, 2022 was the last season where fans saw Kyrgios in full flow. The Australian made the breakthrough by reaching the Wimbledon final, and later backed it up with a quarterfinal run at the US Open. Even in doubles, he had his biggest achievement that year, winning the Australian Open title with Thanasi Kokkinakis.

However, since then, multiple injuries have derailed Kyrgios’s career, especially the one to his wrist, which needed a complete reconstruction surgery. The Australian has played only ten matches in the last four years, winning two of them. He played only four matches this year, with his only win coming against Corentin Moutet in Stuttgart.